NORTH TRUNK RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 24, 28 January 1910, Page 8

NORTH TRUNK RAILWAY.

THE RIVAL ROUTES.

MEMORIAL TO PRIME MINISTER,

The following memorial to the Prime Minister respecting the route of the North Auckland Main Trunk railway has been drafted by the Auckland Railways League, and will be forwarded to the Prime Minister:—

With regard to fhe Northern Main Trunk" railway, and to the question of certain deviations proposed from the original route decided upon by the late Minister for Public Works, the Hon. "Wai. Hall-Jones, and more particularly . with respect to the proposed western deviation between Topuni and the point known as McCarrolFs Gap, this memorial .humbly showeth: 1. That it has been declared in Parliament by the Hon. the Minister for Public Works that a Royal Commission will •• tie set' up to inquire into the question of the proposed deviation north of McCarrolPs Gap on the Northern Main Trunk line of railway. 2. That a≤ there is another deviation proposed south of McCarroll's Gap, concerning which there is far more dispute and divergence of opinion than in the case of the first deviation mentioned, it is very desirable in the public interests that the scope of inquiry of the intended Royal Commission be extended to include the consideration of both deviations. Your memorialist's submit that there are cogent reasons which should lead the Government to adopt this course, which they.earnestly commend to your favourable consideration, namely:— 3. TJiat it appears, from the evidence taken before the Parliamentary Committee. M to Z, in December, 1909, that the (and the district engineer at Auckland are at variance in their estimates of the relative cost of xhe line south of McCarroll's Gap, via the Young's Point and Biekerstaffe route, a≤ compared with the eastern route, originally fixed upon. 4. That upon the following points there appear to be extraordinary differences of opinion amongst professional authorities:— (a) The length of tunnelling involved on the respective routes; (b) the amount of bridging required, and the professional estimate of cost of the - tidal bridge over the' Otamatea estuary. 5. That the serious nature of the difficulty of the unstable ground to be contended with in traversing the Bickerstarfe block is in evidence fully admitted by the engmeer-in-chief, and yet too attempt has 'been made to even approximately estimate the extra cost of construction thereby involved, which, in view of the experience upon the HoteoTe Kana section of the constructed line, may easily amount to many thousands of pounds, and delay the completion ot the railway for five years.. 6. That , the statement of the district engineer that there i≤ more slipping ground on the eastern than on the western route is, in the opinion of your memorialists, and of all others who know :. .statement, ~~ TrhMi, _on ~inv££tigati2rc~£aniiot be" substantiated. " " ~■ 7. That the district engineer at Auckland has positively stated that proper "trial,"- not" merely "flying," surveys 'were made, passed through his hands, and were sent to the head office in Wellington. Nevertheless, no plans or sec- ■ -tions -of either preliminary, trial, or detail surveys were in evidence before the Parliamentary Qommittee, • and when — Asked-icni-in the H-ouse by the hon. member for Marsden they were refused. 8. That your memorialists humbly submit that such plans and.sections should not have been withheld from the cognisance _6f the "Parliamentary Committee, and that if such plans are produced before the Royal Commission the whole matters in controversy could very soon be settled, even allowing for the usual improvements effected in the location of the working detail survey. 9. That unless the Royal Commission, ■with its scope of inquiry enlarged as herein asked for, be set up without delay work will go on as under the acceptance by Cabinet of the western route, which may lead to a very heavy extra cost, and a loss of time extending, it may be, to several years, which the examination of the question by the Royal Commission may entirely save. 10. That if, as stated by the Hon. the : Minister; for Public Works, the evidence in favour of the proposed deviation is "overwhelming," the production before the Royal Commission of the plans, etc., connected with the trial or other surveys would finally settle the question beyond possibility of reasonable dispute. 11. That apart entireh- from the respective local interests connected with this question, your memorialists Tespecfcfully submit that the scope of inquiry of 'the Royal Commission should be enlarged as herein prayed for, as a safeguard against the risk of a mistake being made in the choice of routes, which once made would be irretrievable, besides delaying for an indefinite term railway connection with the Tar North.

12. For these reasons your memorialists confidently hope for a favourable answer to their request, and have hereto respectively set their names.

, .WELLSFORD-TE HAKA SECTION NEARLY COMPLETED.

Mr. G. L. Peacocke, chairman of the Railways League, has received the following satisfactory report on the progress or the Northern Main Trunk line from the League's special commissioner:—-The wort on the Wellsford-Te Hana section of the JCorth Auckland Main Trunk railway is well advanced, and tie work done reflects the greatest credit on the officials in charge find the workmen, and when handed over to the Working Railways Department will be a credit to all who hare taken part in its construction. It will ruiili as- one of tlie best-finished sections on the line. The third and final lift of ballast for about one and a-quarter miles is completed, and there remains about two miles to be done. There are three cuttings to bs cleared out, and this will finisli the earth work, as it is not anticipated the banks on this section will give much trouble. The buildings are nearly all finished, also the cattle-yards, and the section should be ready for handing, over in a month or six weeks.

"When this section is opened, it will entail more work for the Railway Department, because 'the engine is now stationed at Wellsford for the night, and the train will, therefore, hare to leaves Wellsford in •the morning and run down to Te Hana to pick up passengers and goods, and wil! also have to return to Wellsford from Te Hana at night, 'there being no enginerShed at Te Hana. There seems to be a general opinion among the officials and travelling public that it would be better to revert to the old mid-day train, when 'the Te Hana section is opened.

"The Te Hana-Topuni section is well fijead, and nearly all the earthwork has been done. The principal work new consists of the Te Hana, Mainene, and . TopunLJ bridges, and the tunnel also requires finishing. If the Government can be induced to push on the work on 'this section, so as to enable the Public Works to run the malls and passengers to Topuai, it would be a great boon to the country generally, a s well es enabling them to get material well eiiead for the construction of the line further north. It would also result In a conlelflerable saving In ra Trying the mails, and - -Tvovld eat- offjromr of-the_ w;orst road jiur- ~ ~i£z tfie~whiler montfis.!*"